Hello everyone! I'm currently plotting and doing preliminary research/worldbuilding for my upcoming novel and from the beginning, I wanted it to be heavily East and Southeast Asia inspired/coded. I've been doing a lot of preliminary research (my head hurts from all the info) to familiarize myself, but I think I need the opinion of people who have more general knowledge and a better grasp on this topic. I also want to make sure I'm searching for the right things since, at that time, there seem to be a lot of things going on between the countries, so I want to get it right. As I said, the world is only coded to be like that area of the world, so I don't have to be historically factual at all, but I want to at least somewhat mirror our reality in the story. I'm being sort of vague with the time frame, but my set point is the very beginning of the 15th century and the very end of the 14th.

Countries I plan to work with the most: Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia, Cambodia

General facts that I have now and would like to know if I got right:

• Joseon Dinasty period in Korea. Neo-Confucianism on the rise, so shifting focus towards more rationalist view of the world and away from superstitions and mystical elements of Buddhism and Taoism
• The Muromachi period (Ashikaga) in Japan. Japan is very militarized. (As a response to what's happening on mainland?)
• Yuan dynasty in Mongolia. Ming dynasty in China. This area seems a little messy and confusing to me. So... Mongolians are invading China, and Yuan dynasty is the one ruling over most of the mainland China and other parts of Asia, correct? While Ming are the Han Chinese who rebelled against the Mongols and are trying to bring the old China back/away from Mongols. Do I understand it right? What is confusing me is, does that mean that there was no real Mongolia in the shape that we know it now, but it was just spread out into China? I am not sure, but I think I have the times a little messed up and at this time, the Yuan was already pushed back by the Ming?? (1390s-1400s)
• Cambodia was Khmer Empire at this time. (had a bit of confusion and trouble to find that out) I would welcome anyone with more knowledge to let me know how Khmer Empire fits into all this.

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These are the barebones facts that I have. I know it's not much, so are there any glaring mistakes? Would anyone be able to explain to me a little better in concise terms how it all worked together at that time?

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What I'm trying to do with the worldbuilding:

(You can skip this, but I guess it explains well what I'm trying to go for and therefore what I should know?)

• The area of and surrounding Korea and Japan is one country, but at some point (thanks to supernatural forces) a piece of land split away from the mainland, creating a very different, separated piece of the country (Japan). Sort of like the North and South Korea situation, kind of. Culture, architecture and environment very much similar to Korea and Japan with changes to some social and spiritual stuff because of the story/my supernatural forces. I have most of the people in my story pretty mixed, but those in this area look more Korean/Japanese mixed with Latino/Indian.
• Mongolia inspired one is the Northern country, very much like Mongols so more into shamanism, nomadic, good at fighting, horse riding, open plains. This country is sort of a gateway for more European/Caucasian-ish ethnicity, though people still look quite Mongolian.
• What should be China is a large and complex/fragmented empire that takes the space where China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Philippines are. More clearly Asian seeming people, Confucianism views.
• Khmer/Cambodia-coded is a big and very diverse country down South that pretty much spans Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and India. Through here, I want to introduce darker-skinned and black people, code it slightly Indian/African in a sense that is the way people from there come from. I want it to be very Cambodia centric/inspired but still somehow fit the other cultures I mentioned so they reflect.
• Like I said, all of these are only coded, the borders and shapes are not exactly the same, but I'm going with it this way so I can better imagine it in my head. What do you guys think?

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Honestly, I'd welcome any help and advice, lol.

I’ve heard a few historians say that they’re now agnostic when it comes to Edward II’s sexuality but they haven’t gone into any real detail as to why. What has changed or what evidence has been discussed?

Inspired by this article:

Meng, Cheng Yi. "Toilets and the Tug-of-War over Night Soil: The Reconstruction of Toilets in Fengshun County, Guangdong Province, 1942–1943." Twentieth-Century China 45, no. 3 (2020): 247-265.

My question is rather odd and I don't know whether or not it even fits here.

History is an ongoing process and different topics will be evaluated differently. This depens on the given timeframe the historians and the "history" existed. Values and morals are constantly changing and biases will differ from time to time and will also differ from place to place.

How should historians and common citizens evaluate people from the past?

How are historians trying to rid their own biases or are they even trying?

tldr: How is biase and changing morals handled by the historians today and in the past?

Hitler is synonymous with anti-Semitism and he expressed this a lot before he came into power and during and there were many incidents where Jews were targetted, bullied, abused and so on in Germany and later, the development of entire concentration camps and people whose main role were to hunt those who were even suspected of being Jews.

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And aside from Jews, he targetted and blamed other people such as Communists, or wanted to eradicate anyone who was deemed "unpure" like the mentally ill, the disabled, or the Romani or homosexuals.

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Ok, so his personal view of the Aryan race was very specific and he believed that the Germans were stripped from their right to literally rule the world. But why did he blame solelyon the Jews?

Why did he express so much hate specifically towards them? There are elements that he was influenced by anti-Semitic views of his place of birth but why did he specifically target the Jews to further enhance his views of Germany and his "Aryan race"?

People had known that the Earth was round since the Hellenistic era, when did people start believing that Columbus discovered this?

I was arguing with some biblical fundamentalist who were saying that the prophecy in Ezekiel of Babylon conquering Egypt was fulfilled because Babylon defeated Egypt at the battle of Carchemish. In which either Babylon conquered Egypt or made Egypt a client state this “fulfilling”the prophecy.

But I know from my history books I’ve read that Egypt maintained its independence. But can ask historians verify this? If possible can you include legitimate sources?

For example, a count dies, leaving his 8 year old son as his heir. But he can't govern his lands yet. Who would take a role of a leader, until his son becomes of age. Would he still be called regent, or was there any other function that did it?

What names come to mind when it comes to the ways manners and courtesy developed especially under Louis XIV.? What are the classics on the spread of french social and table manners in Europe?

As with Powhatan, little is known of Tamanend's life beyond his encounters with 17th century English settlers, specifically the 1682/3 Treaty of Shackamaxon allegedly forged between his Lenni-Lenape Native Americans and William Penn in modern-day Philadelphia.

I’ve just learned about this today, but I’m pretty sure this was made up. Not sure though.

Can anyone recommend online texts, courses, academic papers or other source that goes over ancient chinese architecture/construction civil engineering from a practical setting spanning any point of time starting from the warring states to the end of the ming dynasty? From all scales, from individual building designs to city layouts. Said sources don't have to be super credible or well-vetted, as this is not for academic or employment purposes.

If you just tell me about it in a comment that's ok too!

I want to understand the architectural principles, designs, and processes that were used from a practical standpoint as opposed to the more commonly seen artistic standpoint (obviously the two may intertwine). If they are easy to understand for someone with no background in architecture/engineering whatsoever it would be great.

I know this seems open ended the rules recommend you to do your own research, but I didn't have much luck on google or google scholar :(. The intended use is just in fictional writing, hence the relatively broad area of the timeline.

Thanks so much in advance